Phlox plant named ‘Dophlofalista’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Phlox  plant named ‘Dophloflalista’, characterized by its upright and uniform plant habit; vigorous growth habit and rapid growth rate; relatively freely branching habit; freely flowering habit; flowers with purple and white bi-colored petal lobes; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Phlox paniculata.

Cultivar denomination: ‘DOPHLOFLALISTA’.

STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY INVENTOR & APPLICANT/ASSIGNEE:

An European Community Plant Breeder's Rights application for the instant plant was filed by the Applicant/Assignee, Dümmen Group B.V. of De Lier, The Netherlands on Jan. 13, 2021, application number 2021/0128. Foreign priority is not claimed to this application.

The Inventor and Applicant/Assignee assert that no publications nor advertisements relating to sales, offers for sale or public distribution occurred more than one year prior to the effective filing date of this application. Any information about the claimed plant would have been obtained from a direct or indirect disclosure from the Inventor and/or Applicant/Assignee. Inventor and Applicant/Assignee claim a prior art exception under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(1) for disclosure and/or sales prior to the filing date but less than one year prior to the effective filing date.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Phlox plant, botanically known as Phlox paniculata and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Dophloflalista’.

The new Phlox plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program was to create new early and freely-flowering Phlox plants with attractive flower color.

The new Phlox plant is a naturally-occurring branch mutation of Phlox paniculata ‘Barthirtythree’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,437. The new Phlox plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor on a single flowering plant of ‘Barthirtythree’ in a controlled environment in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands in June, 2016.

Asexual reproduction of the new Phlox plant by vegetative cuttings in a controlled environment in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands since June, 2016 has shown that the unique features of this new Phlox plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Phlox have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Dophloflalista’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Dophloflalista’ as a new and distinct Phlox plant:

-   -   1. Upright and uniform plant habit.     -   2. Vigorous growth habit and rapid growth rate.     -   3. Relatively freely branching habit.     -   4. Freely flowering habit.     -   5. Flowers with purple and white bi-colored petal lobes.     -   6. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Phlox differ from plants of the mutation parent, ‘Barthirtythree’ primarily in flower color as petal lobes of plants of the new Phlox are purple and white bi-colored whereas petal lobes of plants of ‘Barthirtythree’ are purple in color.

Plants of the new Phlox can be compared to plants of Phlox paniculata ‘Ditosnow’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Phlox and ‘Ditosnow’ differ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Phlox are more freely branching than plants         of ‘Ditosnow’.     -   2. Plants of the new Phlox have purple and white bi-colored         petal lobes whereas plants of ‘Ditosnow’ have solid         white-colored petal lobes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Phlox plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Phlox plant.

The photograph comprises a side perspective view of typical flowering plant of ‘Dophloflalista’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during the early summer in 17-cm containers initially in a glass-covered greenhouse and finished in an outdoor nursery in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands and under cultural practices typical of commercial Phlox production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 21° C. and night temperatures averaged 15° C. Plants were pinched one time one week after planting rooted young plants and were 29 weeks old when the photograph and the description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, Second Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Phlox paniculata ‘Dophloflalista’. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring branch mutation of Phlox paniculata     ‘Barthirtythree’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,437. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 16 days at             temperatures about 26° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About three weeks at             temperatures about 23° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 24 days             at temperatures about 23° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About four             weeks at temperatures about 18° C.         -   Root description.—Thick, fibrous; typically white in color,             actual color of the roots is dependent on substrate             composition, water quality, fertilizer type and formulation,             substrate temperature and physiological age of roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Moderately freely branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Herbaceous perennial typically grown             as a container and garden plant; upright and uniform plant             habit; vigorous growth habit and rapid growth rate.         -   Plant height.—About 35 cm.         -   Plant width (spread).—About 36 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Branching habit: Relatively freely             branching habit; about four primary branches each with about             four secondary branches. Length: About 30 cm. Diameter:             About 1 cm. Internode length: About 3.5 cm. Strength:             Strong. Aspect: Upright to about 50° from vertical. Texture             and luster: Smooth, glabrous; glossy. Color: Close to 145A;             at the internodes, close to 79A. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple; decussate and sessile.         -   Length.—About 7.2 cm.         -   Width.—About 3.8 cm.         -   Shape.—Lanceolate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Cuneate.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Texture and luster, upper surface.—Smooth, glabrous;             semi-glossy.         -   Texture and luster, lower surface.—Smooth, glabrous; matte.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate, reticulate.         -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface:             Close to 137A; venation, close to 145A. Developing and fully             expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 138A; venation,             close to 145C. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and flowering habit.—Single rotate and             salverform flowers arranged in compound terminal and lateral             panicles; flowers face mostly upright to outwardly depending             on position on inflorescence; freely flowering habit with             about 57 flowers per inflorescence and about 768 flowers             developing per plant during the flowering season.         -   Fragrance.—Slightly fragrant; sweet, pleasant.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants begin flowering about 19             weeks after planting; plants flower in July in the garden in             The Netherlands; flowers persistent.         -   Flower buds.—Height: About 2 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm.             Shape: Conical. Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous; matte.             Color: Close to 155D and 84B.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 23 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 12 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—About 2.6 cm.         -   Flower depth.—About 1.6 cm.         -   Flower throat diameter.—About 4 mm.         -   Flower tube length.—About 1.8 cm.         -   Flower diameter, proximally.—About 4 mm.         -   Petals.—Quantity per flower: Typically five in a single             whorl; petals fused at the base into a narrow tube. Lobe             length: About 1.2 cm. Lobe width: About 1.1 cm. Lobe shape:             Obovate. Lobe apex: Rounded. Lobe margin: Entire, not             undulate. Lobe texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces:             Smooth, glabrous; matte. Throat texture: Smooth, glabrous.             Tube texture: Pubescent. Color: Lobe, when opening and fully             opened, upper surface: Close to 82A; towards the margins,             close to 155D; venation, similar to lamina colors; with             development, mostly 155D with center, close to 84B. Lobe,             when opening and fully opened, lower surface: Close to 84B;             towards the margins, close to 155D; venation, similar to             lamina colors; with development, mostly 155D with center,             close to 84C. Throat: Close to 77A; venation, close to 77A.             Tube: Close to 77A; venation, close to 77A.         -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Typically five in a single             whorl, fused towards the base; calyx, tubular. Length: About             9 mm. Width: About 1 mm. Shape: Subulate. Apex: Acute.             Margin: Entire. Texture and luster, upper surface:             Pubescent; semi-glossy. Texture and luster, lower surface:             Pubescent; glossy. Color: When opening, upper and lower             surfaces: Close to 144A tinged with 83A. Fully opened, upper             and lower surfaces: Close to 144A tinged with 83A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 3 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm.             Strength: Moderately strong. Aspect: About 40° from lateral             branch axis. Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous; glossy.             Color: Close to 145A.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 5 mm.             Strength: Weak. Aspect: Up to 40° from peduncle axis.             Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous; glossy. Color: Close             to 145A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Typically             five. Filament length: About 2 mm. Filament color: Close to             77A. Anther size: About 1 mm by 2 mm. Anther color: Close to             8D. Pollen amount: Abundant. Pollen color: Close to 155A.             Pistils: Quantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About             2 cm. Stigma diameter: About 2 mm. Stigma shape:             Three-parted. Stigma color: Close to 145D. Style length:             About 1.7 cm. Style color: Close to 145D. Ovary color: Close             to 145A.         -   Seeds and fruits.—To date, seed and fruit development have             not been observed on plants of the new Phlox. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Phlox have been observed to     have good garden performance and to tolerate rain, wind and     temperatures ranging from about −37° C. to about 35° C. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: To date, plants of the new Phlox have     not been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Phlox plants. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Phlox plant named ‘Dophloflalista’ as illustrated and described. 